Nanoelectronic capnometer adapter including a nanoelectronic sensor selectively sensitive to at least one gaseous consitutent of exhaled breath

Abstract

A capnometer adaptor includes a nanostructure sensor configured to selectively respond to a gaseous constituent of exhaled breath, such as to carbon dioxide. In certain embodiments, the adaptor includes an airway adaptor having at least one channel configured for the passage of respiratory gas; at least one nanostructure sensor in fluid communication with the passage, the sensor configured to selectively respond to at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath comprising carbon dioxide; and electronic hardware connected to the nanostructure sensor and configured to provide a signal indicative of a response of the sensor to the at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath. The sensor may be provided as a compact and solid-state device, and may be adapted for a variety of respiratory monitoring applications.

1 . A capnometer; comprising: an airway adaptor having at least one channel configured for the passage of respiratory gas; at least one nanostructure sensor in fluid communication with the passage, the sensor configured to selectively respond to at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath; electronic hardware connected to the nanostructure sensor and configured to provide a signal indicative of a response of the sensor to the at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath. 
     
     
         2 . A capnometer as in  claim 1 , further comprising an output device connected to the electronic hardware and configured to provide an output indicative of a concentration of the at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath. 
     
     
         3 . The capnometer of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to selectively respond to the at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath comprising carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         4 . The capnometer as in of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one nanostructure sensor comprises: a substrate; a first nanostructure over the substrate; at least two conducting elements in electrical communication with the first nanostructure; and at least one recognition material operatively associated with the first nanostructure, the at least one recognition material configured for interacting with carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         5 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the first nanostructure is selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, nanofibers, and nanorods. 
     
     
         6 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the first nanostructure comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of carbon, boron, boron nitride, and carbon boron nitride, silicon, germanium, gallium nitride, zinc oxide, indium phosphide, molybdenum disulphide, and silver. 
     
     
         7 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the first nanostructure comprises a single-wall carbon nanotube. 
     
     
         8 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the conducting elements comprise metal electrodes. 
     
     
         9 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the conducting elements are in direct physical contact with the first nanostructure. 
     
     
         10 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a metallic carbonate. 
     
     
         11 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material is selected from the group consisting of lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, cesium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and silver carbonate. 
     
     
         12 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a pH-sensitive polymer. 
     
     
         13 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material is selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, poly(ethyleneimine), poly(o-phenylenediamine), poly(3-methylthiophene), and polypyrrole. 
     
     
         14 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises an aromatic compound. 
     
     
         15 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material is selected from the group consisting benzylamine, naphthalenemethylamine, antracene amine, and pyrene amine. 
     
     
         16 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a polymeric material. 
     
     
         17 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, poly(vinyl alcohol), polysaccharides, and starches. 
     
     
         18 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a substantially continuous layer over the nanostructure. 
     
     
         19 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a plurality of different materials. 
     
     
         20 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , further comprising a gate electrode in proximity to the nanostructure. 
     
     
         21 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , further comprising a layer of inhibiting material covering regions of the sensor adjacent to the connections between the conductive elements. 
     
     
         22 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein at least one recognition material is selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal oxide, and a metal hydroxide. 
     
     
         23 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein at least one recognition material comprises a layer of metal disposed adjacent the first nanostructure. 
     
     
         24 . The capnometer of  claim 23 , wherein the recognition material includes a layer of polymeric material disposed adjacent the layer of metal. 
     
     
         25 . The capnometer of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a layer of metal disposed adjacent the gate electrode. 
     
     
         26 . The capnometer of  claim 25 , wherein the recognition material includes a layer of polymeric material disposed adjacent the layer of metal. 
     
     
         27 . The capnometer of  claim 4 , wherein the recognition material comprises poly(ethylene imine) in mixture with a starch. 
     
     
         28 . The capnometer of  claim 27 , wherein the starch comprises at least one of amylose and amylopectin. 
     
     
         29 . The capnometer of  claim 3 , wherein the airway adaptor is configured to receive exhalation flow from at least a one of: a respirator system, a endotracheal ventilator system, an sleep apnea treatment system, a sleep apnea diagnostic system, an anesthesia system, a cardiac function diagnostic system, a metabolic function measuring system, an asthma monitoring system, and a gastro-intestinal testing system. 
     
     
         30 . The capnometer of  claim 29 , wherein the airway adaptor is configured to operate externally to a patient's body. 
     
     
         31 . The capnometer of  claim 30 ; wherein the airway adaptor is configured to operate internally to a patients body. 
     
     
         32 . The capnometer of  claim 3 ; wherein the airway adaptor is configured to receive a portion of exhalation flow from at least a one of: a respirator system, a endotracheal ventilator system, an sleep apnea treatment system, a sleep apnea diagnostic system, an anesthesia system, a cardiac function diagnostic system, a metabolic function measuring system, an asthma monitoring system, and a gastro-intestinal testing system. 
     
     
         33 . The capnometer of  claim 3 , wherein the capnometer is configured to mate with one of a respirator mask, an ambubag, and laryngeal mask. 
     
     
         34 . The capnometer of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the capnometer is configured to be disposable.